Children's Health and Fitness During Winter

It’s so hard to keep children healthy during the winter. Flus, colds, and inclement weather tend to keep children indoors where they are tempted by video games and snack food. Typically, children are incredibly inactive during the winter months. If you’re trying to get your children back into their hyperactive groove but safely indoors, try the suggestions below.

If parents become concerned about their child's lack of physical activity during the winter, there are several indoor exercises children can perform to get their daily exercise. The temperature outside does not have to affect your child's activity level. Parents should find creative ways to get their children active. 

One positive aspect about winter time is that outdoor equipment is usually on sale, and therefore parents can get a reduced price on many items they can use indoors to motivate their child. It is the best time to stock up on jump robes, hula hoops and any other fun clearance items that parents could use to get their child off the couch and on his or her feet. 

• Parents could buy their children a toy that promotes exercise for Christmas. For instance, on the Little Tikes Web site, parents can purchase any of the Totsports series, which features a basketball, golf, t-ball, hockey and bowling set.

• The day of passively playing video gaming are over. Video game consoles, like Wii, have created games like Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, DDR and Wii Sports Resort that require gamers to be active.

• Take your child to a local gym to swim. Swimming is not only a great source of exercise, but also a favorite summer activity that children can enjoy indoors in the winter.

• Parents could sign their child up for gymnastics or other indoor sports like soccer. Gymnastic classes are offered for children as young as 2.

• Parents should eat at places with an indoor playground.  McDonald's and Chuck E. Cheese are great places for children to play.

• Take your child bowling. Many bowling alleys have kiddie lanes to help children learn how to play.

• Create treasure hunts inside of your house. Put clues in opposite areas in your house so your child can get the most physical activity.

• Have a jump rope or hula hoop contest with your child. You and your child can have fun with each other while exercising.

• Go a roller skating or ice skating. This is a great opportunity to teach your child a new skill, and improve coordination and balance.

• Yoga is for people of all ages. FitTV has daily yoga routines on TV. The whole family could find a time that works for everyone and exercise together.

Follow this link for more information.

Reflections of Grace 5K and 1 Mile Walk

Registration has started for the 6th Annual Race for Grace 5K and 1 Mile Walk on April 6. The race and its beneficiary Foundation were created in honor of Grace Elizabeth Ekis, a 5-year-old who lost her 13-month battle with a rare cancerous brain tumor on Valentine’s Day 2008. The cancer was a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a tumor of the brainstem for which there is no known cure and there have been no advances in treatment options for more than 30 years.

Before March 6, tickets for adults are $20 and children (12 & under) are $15. Children under 3 years old are free to attend. After March 6, tickets for adults are $25 and children are $20. Opening activities begin at 7 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. at Norwin High School, 251 McMahon Drive, North Huntingdon, PA 15642.

The foundation’s name, Reflections of Grace, signifies the effect Grace Ekis had on the lives of those she touched over the course of her short life. As its mission, the Reflections of Grace Foundation is dedicated to:

• Providing financial, emotional, and educational support for children and their families affected by pediatric brain cancer.

• Raising awareness of all types of pediatric brain tumors, with a particular focus on Diffuse Instrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs), or Brainstem Gliomas

• Joining with other like-minded organizations in educating, aiding and funding the search for a cure for DIPG and other forms of pediatric brain cancer, in the hope of curing all cancers.

To ensure unlimited participation in all children's activities throughout the day, wristbands may be purchased for $10.00 with a signed waiver by a parent/guardian at the event. For online registrants—Active.com charges an additional fee of $3.95 per online registration transaction. This fee does not benefit Reflections of Grace, but rather covers the cost of Active's administrative services. For liability purposes, a waiver must be signed for each participant, regardless of age. Both adults and children will have the option to register for either:

• 5K Run (D-Tag timing technology)

• 5K Walk

• 1 Mile Walk

Make A Donation
Can’t attend the event but still want to help? Simply go to www.active.com/donate/RaceForGrace2013 and make a donation. Your contribution will enable the Reflections of Grace Foundation to support families with love, give children hope, and fight pediatric brain cancer with grace. 

Become A Sponsor
Companies of all sizes can participate at various tiers to help us achieve our fundraising goal of $110,000. Sponsorships vary in dollar amounts, with corresponding acknowledgements and attractive promotional opportunities for each tier. For more information, please email RaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org. Sincere thanks to all of our past, present and future sponsors! 

Become A Volunteer
The success of this event would not be possible without the several hundred volunteers who freely share their time and talent. Help is needed with a variety of tasks during the race. If you would like to volunteer on race day, please emailRaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org. 

Additional Information
We encourage you to register prior to April 1, 2013 to ensure you will receive a race t-shirt. However, we will also accept registrants from 7:00-8:00AM on race day. Extra t-shirts will be ordered, but supplies may be limited. Be sure to arrive early to partake in pre-race entertainment and warm-up routine led by Zumba instructors. Also, breakfast will be available at the concession stand starting at 7:00AM. After the race, there will be an award ceremony, charitable hair donations, dance performances, Chinese & Silent auctions, and full concession stand of lunch items available for purchase. (If you are interested in donating your hair, please email RaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org). An awareness table and fun activities for children and families to enjoy will be featured throughout the day as well. The day’s events will conclude around 1:00PM. We look forward to seeing you on April 6, 2013!

Follow this link for more information.

Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania

Dr. Reed was recently nominated to be on the board of the amazing Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, an organization that encourages public participation in the prevention of child abuse.  Their website offers great tips for teachers, parents, grandparents, neighbors, etc., for a variety of things—but most importantly, how and when to report cases of abuse or neglect.

Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania seeks to work in collaboration with a rich array of local and statewide efforts to develop an approach to child abuse prevention that is locally based and statewide in coverage. This work will focus on:

• Public awareness of child abuse;

• Public participation in prevention of child abuse;

• Public policy and advocacy to promote prevention;

• Utilization of evidence-based prevention programs for children, 

• caregivers and parents. 

Mission
To prevent the abuse and neglect of all children in Pennsylvania before it happens. 

Philosophy
We believe child abuse can and will be prevented when knowledgeable and involved citizens are aware of the work they can do to build healthy families and foster caring communities. Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania believes that primary prevention is a sound fiscal policy as well as a humane and caring response to the suffering of children. It is a simple, practical, cost-effective approach to protecting the welfare of our state’s greatest resource – our children – and it is the right thing to do. 

Core Values

• Valuing children: We are committed to raising the value society places on children and to preventing abuse and neglect, so that all children can grow to their full potential. Every child deserves to be cherished and nurtured in a safe environment. Harming a child in any way is unacceptable. 

• Strengthening families: We are committed to strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect by providing families with the information, support, and resources necessary to be successful in raising children. 

• Engaging communities: We are committed to engaging communities in the development and implementation of prevention strategies and programs.

Visit the organization’s website to learn more.

The Urban Green Growth Collaborative

Finding ways to promote and maintain a green living in our neighborhoods can result in a sense of pride and accomplishment. We may have already missed the first meeting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t attend the others!  The rest of the meetings include topics such as weatherizing your home, managing stormwater drainage, promoting urban agriculture and ways to enhance a healthy community.

The Urban Green Growth Collaborative (UGGC) works with inner city residents by engaging them in green sustainable hands on development activities that increase residents understanding and ability to learn green practices. The Urban Green Growth Collaborative meetings are open to the public. Each meeting has a series of 5-10 speakers highlighting upcoming sustainable practices from around the East End of Pittsburgh. Stop by every fourth Wednesday of the month! Light dinner is provided. 

The UGGC was created to address the unique opportunities located in the East End of Pittsburgh, PA, where urban (re)development is taking place with little or limited socioeconomic engagement from minority populations. 

The UGGC focuses on long-term systemic change that empowers community through:

• Information – Providing valuable and concise information that informs the community of planning, jobs, and development that have a direct impact on their lives.

• Infrastructure – Making sure that resources are available to support sustainable change.

• Connections – Building relationships and creating experiences that empower people to change their own lives. 

Although much green development is taking place in the Greater Pittsburgh Area, there is little to no participation from residents of urban communities, especially those at risk of long-term unemployment, academic underachievement, and chronic poverty. The Urban Green Growth Collaborative (UGGC) was established to empower inner city residents by engaging them in sustainable, green, hands-on development activities.These activities directly influence our constituent’s understanding of their conditions, risk factors, and opportunities for growth and development. The UGGC takes advantage of existing community, educational, and economic resources to support infrastructure development, information sharing, and relationship building.

Follow this link for more information.